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Friday, March 2, 2012

Amidst the disrespect complaint of Ms. Cristy Ramos against the Philippine Azkals, Mr. Dan Palami, the Azkals' Team Manager has released a statement regarding the issue. He also apologized to Ms. Ramos for the distress that the alleged incident caused her. Here it is:

I would like to reassure Commissioner Cristy Ramos that the PFF and I take these allegations seriously. We will promptly investigate this incident. In fact, we already met with Commissioner Ramos today to discuss the incident report she filed. For this reason, I postponed my scheduled trip to Nepal.

It is unfortunate that we learned about this first from media sources. In my brief conversation with Commissioner Ramos after the match, we exchanged pleasantries and there was no mention of the incident that transpired. As I told her in our meeting today, I would have addressed the issue right then. Since the players have already left the country for the AFC tournament, a dialogue between them and Commissioner Ramos is not possible at the moment.

Nonetheless, we will not put off the investigation even as we prepare for a major tournament. I will sit down with my players and staff and get to the bottom of this.

In my personal experience of the usual goings-on in the men’s locker room, the tension, excitement and nervous energy before a match often result in a lot of boisterous bantering. For someone who walks into this situation, this might appear as bordering on disrespect. But again, I am speaking only from my personal experience. I was not witness to the particular incident which is the subject of the incident report. Until I hear from all sides, I cannot comment substantially on the matter.

Like Commissioner Ramos, I also believe that sexual harassment should not be tolerated in any situation. I will look into the circumstances of this alleged incident and cooperate with any investigation. If it is proven that there was in fact malicious intent, I will make sure that proper sanctions are meted out.

On behalf of the team, I sincerely apologize to Commissioner Ramos for the distress this situation has caused her.